While we are all still absorbing the significance of the Chauvin conviction, the video of Chicago police killing 13-year-old Adam Toledo on April 15th reminds us of the constant and often deadly presence of the police in Black and brown children’s lives. This pervasive and menacing police presence in both neighborhoods and schools inflicts significant trauma – and too often even brutal violence – on children from these communities.

JusticeAid’s 2021 Spring Forum in partnership with The Riverside Church of New York calls each of us to action, spotlighting the roles played by today’s youth-led movements and innovative public defenders to combat racist policing, empower communities, and hold police accountable.

We invite you to join us for the JusticeAid 2021 Spring Forum: Safety For Whom? Racist Policing in Communities and Schools
Sunday May 2nd, airing at 4 & 8 pm ET on YouTube. Download program flyer.

Keynote by Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF).

Moderator, Angela J. Davis, Distinguished Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law, in conversation with:

  • Kristin Nicole Henning, Blume Professor of Law & Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law
  • Rick Jones, Executive Director, Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS)
  • Sally Lee, Founder and Executive Director, Teachers Unite.

With special musical performances by the Resistance Revival Chorus and Matthew Whitaker.

JusticeAid’s 2021 Spring Forum will introduce you to the client-centered, community-based, holistic legal defense practice of Neighborhood Defender Service and its new NDS PACE program, which will reckon with police impunity and over policing, and work toward building community power and wealth. Right now, 100% of donations to JusticeAid will support NDS PACE, and your contribution will be doubled thanks to a matching gift from the JusticeAid Board of Directors.

MUSIC THAT MATTERS

We’re looking forward to when we can all enjoy live music again. Meanwhile, to commemorate Earth Day on April 22nd, we hope you’ll enjoy our Songs of Protest: You Are Only Issued One Earth from the JusticeAid music blog archives.

Double your gift! The JusticeAid Board is offering a challenge match of $200,000 – Give now and every dollar you give will provide $2.00 to expand the NDS PACE program nationally.

JusticeAid leverages the community-building power of art and music to transform awareness into action in the fight against injustice. Each year we identify and raise funds for justice causes by hosting music, arts and educational events. Since 2013 JusticeAid has raised over 1.3 million dollars for justice heroes: nonprofits that are ending mass incarceration, addressing the criminalization of poverty and inhumane immigration policies, and protecting civil rights for all.

In 2021, JusticeAid’s focus is police accountability and community empowerment. Through October 2021, 100 percent of your donation will support the expansion of NDS PACE, the Police Accountability/Community Empowerment program of Neighborhood Defender Service.